The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-09-10
COOKS AND COOKERY

Gxtr8voGonoe OF the Anckonto IN Mattef1
Pertaining to the Table.
It has been somewhat disdainfully
said that many of our public officials
are paid salaries which arc but the
fractional part of those enjoyed by
cooks of high standing in their profess
sion. That may well be, for chef Of
genius is rare and can pertinently quote
to any epicure who complains at such a
relative scale of prices, Adelina PATHS
reply to her manager, when he objected
to the price she demanded for a number
of concerts: s'But that is more than
the President of the United States gets
for year" Every WE'LL" pouted the
spoiled dsua. ''get the President of the
United States to sing for you, then?'
What gourmand would be quite happy
over the cookingof an unframed alder
man, even il that official would be con-
tent on a reduced salary? Extravagant
as we may be in the kitchen, we are less
SO than were the ancients. In Burnley's
Romance of Invention from which
we take what follows, we are told that
Marc Antoly. for example. was so
pleased with repast prepared by .
cook, for Cleopatra, that he presented
the man with whole town. The Ro-
mans nursed their palates to such an
extent that the second hunger" was
cultivated as science. Apicius, the
chief gastronomer of his time, delivered
lectures on the best modes Of exciting
hunger, and established school of
gluttony.' vitellius allowed his cook
about fifteen thousand dollars day for
marketing purposes, and Lucullus once
paid five thousand dollars for little
dinner for three. Heliogabalus was 50
prodigal that he had his peas sprinkled
with grains Of gold. his rice mixed with
pearls, and his beans with amber. Ii
berius had an economical little habit Of
crushing precious stones, and mixing
them with wine, as had also Cleopatra.
At no period Of history has there been
such indulgence in the pleasures of the
table as at Rome, in the latter days of the
empire. The livers and tongues ofnight-
ingales, rhinoceros' eyes, the tender
parts of peacocks. and the brains Of
pheasants and thrushcs were among the
ordinary dishes on the luxurious Roman
bill Of fare.
The Old Testament has not furnished
many items to the student of cookery,
though it is said that learned rabbi
spent fifteen years in trying to discover
the name Of the cook who made Esau's
pottage. During the barbarism of the
Middle Ages. plain and coarse food
(! was the order Of the day in
Europe, and when costly dainties be-
gan to be in vogue, they appeared firs'
| in the monasteries. The table of the
monks Of Canterbury consisted daily o.
sixteen elaborate courses. and so great
was the fame of the pious fathers cook
! ing, that the Lord Abbot was generally
! asked for the loan of his cook when any
great banquet was to be prepared. i
| was not until the seventeenth century
however, that artistic cooks sprang int
existence and repute, and the italians
and French began to lead their neigh
bors in the culinary art. The Frencl
have always been most enthusiastic
/ qourmets. As one might imagine from
the speech Of Partisan in regard to
sauce invented by . countryman
s.With . sauce like that . man Nigh
eat his own father!" The high esteem